Chronicles of a Townie

How is it possible that 5 days can pass so slow, and 2 days oh so quickly?

It seems to happen with an alarming regularity.

Another weekend, come and gone.

We went out to eat Friday at a new restaurant called Bob's Big Gas Subs and Pub. I am obsessed with the building this restaurant is in. It's in one of my favorite parts of town - West End - and I've been watching crews come and renovate this former dilapadated service station into this beauty. I declared long ago I wanted it to be my future office, but I wasn't exactly picturing a pub and sub below... ... maybe more like a coffee shop that also served cupcakes and champagne. We'll have to work on that.

But in the meantime, until I can move in upstairs, subs and pubs will have to do.

I will say, it's the first place in Winston-Salem I've ever found Labatt Blue Light. Oh LBL, you somehow make me a teensy bit homesick.


And their sandwiches are quite tasty too. Strange combinations - apple, ham and goat cheese toasted. A pimiento cheese sandwich with bacon and avocado? Worth repeat visits.

After dinner, we went out to two watering holes- Tate's Craft Cocktails and Rec Billiards. Winston's night life has changed tremendously since we were here in college when I'm quite certain the only three choices we had were Burke St, Black Bear and Daytona's. I'm still not sure why we went to Daytona's - a complete hole in the wall without anywhere good to dance (a priority for my 21-yr-old self) and has since become a tractor and mower parts store.

Certainly a far cry from Tate's with cocktails that have more ingredients than most dinners I cook, comfy couches crowded around heaters and blankets outside, and old rugged high wooden bar inside.

Winston, you done grown up!

All the changes that we've seen in downtown over the last few years makes me excited to see what's to come in this city, as people keep finding new ways to use old buildings (like tobacco factories into apartment lofts) and the growing movement of a slow food culture, a night life and a walkable downtown. It makes me proud to be a resident here... going on 8 years! Seeing as how that's almost a third of my life, do I qualify for townie status?

If so, do I need to relocate to Burke St?